


Darling

by bittykanita



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Dont you dare search it up you beautiful bean, F/M, Human AU, Macro/Micro, Ugh it’s very complicated, but Steven is a tiny no more expo for you, future whump, maybe smut now that i have no moral obligations but i do not know, royal au, tags added later I’m lazy ok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:27:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22652485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bittykanita/pseuds/bittykanita
Summary: Spinel’s a princess. She meets Steven, a tiny, and together (after they get over their mutual hatred and awkwardness) they unravel a mystery about the lands they thought they knew.
Relationships: Spinel/Steven Universe
Comments: 21
Kudos: 73





	1. Prologue (Steven)

“No, no, I would definitely beat you in a competition.”

“Likewise. You sounded terrible a few minutes ago.”

I’ve been listening to these two idiots argue for hours. I’m definitely far away from the beach by now, only hearing the sounds of the forest around the dirt path I can hear their horses’ hooves walking on. The adrenaline from earlier has left my body tired as I sit in the wooden box, barely able to breathe. 

“Really! Well, how about you tell me about it, _you_ _bumbling_ _idiot!_ ”

I wonder where the others are. Did they only take me? No, I saw them get captured too. Maybe they were pawned off to other humans. I pull my knees close to me and hide my face in them. It doesn’t matter now. I feel my chest tightening again as I try not to sob. Those guards wouldn’t even notice, nor care, but wherever I’m going... I need to save my energy.

“Hey, I got an idea. Let’s ask the little guy,” I tense up as I hear things moving around me. A hand grips the top of the box and my world lurches upwards as it’s lifted. “Hey, who sings better?”

“I—I don’t.. I don’t know,” I say quietly. 

“Hm,” the man goes quiet again. The box is still in his hand. Suddenly, I’m jostled around as the box shakes violently. After stopping and hearing me hitting against the insides of the box, he asks, “What’s your name?”

I hesitate to reply. Why would they want to know my name? After some hesitation, I tell him, “I-it’s Steven?”

I hear a firm “No!” and he shakes the box again. I grunt, hitting the sides. “Your name is whatever they tell you it is. You’ll surely need  _ training… _ ”

_ Training? _ I freeze. What am I, some… animal to be trained? I have sentience. I am feeling myself start to panic again, my breaths quickening. The box drops back to where it was before, and I hit against the floor of the box. Pain is coursing through my body.

“Don’t rough ‘em up too much,” the other voice says. “that one’s going to that  _ princess _ .”

“Oh, it is? Must be why it’s the only delivery, I s’pose.” 

A princess? I’m going to a princess? This just keeps getting worse. I remember something about nobles being quite insensitive. I don’t think I can get any more anxious, running my hands through my hair to calm myself down isn’t working.

“Well, I can see the city coming up now,” one of them say after a long silence.

The sounds of people talking and bustling around the streets reach my ears. I wonder what human settlements look like this far inland. I guess I will never see it, since I’ll be a  _ pet _ for the rest of my life. I still can’t see anything as the box is picked up roughly and whoever is carrying it brings it somewhere cooler.

It’s opened, but just for a second as gloved hands pick me up with no care for my own safety and shove me in a bottle. I don’t get a single glance at whoever it is. The bottle is put into a box with me in it and it’s dark again. I know I’m still being carried by the slight movements up and down. I’m going somewhere.

The box I’m in is set down and I can hear whispers being exchanged. I know what’s happening, but I can’t accept it. Was I ever a person in the first place? Or just something to be sold off? I lean against the cold glass around me and sigh. 

The ceiling opens and there’s a girl staring down at me.


	2. First Meetings (Spinel)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven meets Spinel. The world isn’t as it seems.

“The Diamonds are giving me something?” I ask, in the same whisper as the servant in front of me.

“Yes, princess. They tell you to do what you like with it,” they reply.

“Well… you can go, then,” I dismiss them. They turn around and leave the room, closing the door quietly. I turn to the box. What is it? Why would I do what I like with it? I pause for a several seconds, my hand gripping the top of the box. I take a deep breath. “Alright, let’s see what it is now…” 

I open the box and there’s a bottle. With a person in it. They look terrified, suddenly jumping back and falling onto the ground of the glass bottle. I breathe out, “A tiny.”

I can see its tiny chest rising and falling with its breaths. It must be terrified of me. But I ignore it, reaching out to pick up the bottle and holding it closer to my face. Oh. It’s a male. Nearly black eyes regard me with a panicked caution, and the tiny rockets as far away from me as possible to the other side of the bottle. It barely makes a difference. 

I move my hand to the top of the bottle and pull off the cork, then tip the bottle down above my hand. The tiny catches itself at the neck of the bottle, sprawling out and stopping the fall with its hands.

“Come on,” I say, impatient. It looks at me, eyes full of terror. I can’t bend to this thing. I shake the bottle and it falls into my hand with a yelp. 

Clutching it in my hands, I walk over to my desk and sit down.

“Ah-Hey!” I pick up the tiny by the scruff of its collar, dangling it in front of my face, ignoring the protests and squirms. 

I hum thoughtfully, “So, what can you do?”

The tiny continues to squirm and pull at my fingers. “H-hey, you’re choking me! Pl-please…”

I scoff, dropping the tiny down close to the desk. It trembles in my shadow as I loom over it. “Tinies are so fragile, aren’t they?”

“U-uhh…”

“So small. I’ve only ever seen one once, you know,” I continue, “it seemed a lot more well behaved than you.”

“It…?” the tiny speaks again. I hold back the urge to grab it again and scold it.

“ _ It _ didn’t talk unless it was _ told _ to,” I say, leaning down to its level and looking at it sternly. It steps back, surprised.

“Why are you calling them…  _ it _ ?” Oh, great. It did it again. 

“Why not? Tinies are pets,” I reply begrudgingly. It would have had to know it’s place eventually. 

The tiny doesn’t say anything, it just steps back. And then it steps back again. And again. And then it’s bolting away, so I reach out to grab it. It’s a narrow miss, and the tiny quickly dodges my hand, but it falls onto the ground shortly after from the quick movements. 

“Gotcha,” I say, scooping it up with my fist. It pushes against my fingers with its legs, growling at me. I giggle, “See? I told you… they act exactly like  _ pets. _ ”

“You…you’re a  _ monster! _ ” it yells at me. “I can talk! I can think! I—“

“I don’t want to hear it,” I interrupt, placing my thumb over its mouth. I sigh, finally able to talk without being interrupted again, “you really have to be trained. And, really, I don’t know how to start. So, as punishment… don’t talk at all.”

I take my thumb off of its mouth and smile, satisfied at the lack of a response. The tiny glares at me but stays silent. I place it down on the desk, cupping my hands around it to keep it in the same place. 

“Anyways…” I look at the window of my room, high over anything else. It’s night-time, the summer heat disappearing into cool, comfortable air. “I’d like to play more, but it’s nearly time for me to sleep.”

I’m startled to hear a quiet whine, looking down. “What?”

I see tears flowing from its eyes, shaking madly. I frown, raising a brow curiously. Small hands brush through its curly hair, and I can’t ignore the quiet sobs shaking its body. I feel something inside of me. Maybe it’s guilt? I push it down.

“Right, that’s it,” I say, picking it up roughly. I open a drawer by the night-table by my bed and drop the tiny inside. I barely use the compartments, anyways. “Stay there,” I tell it, dropping a small piece of cloth inside the drawer and shutting it.

I sigh and get ready for bed, sitting in silence until there’s a knock on my door. 

“Yes?”

“Uh, I have brought you something, my princess,” someone says on the other side. Oh. It’s the servant from earlier.

“Come in,” I tell them.

“I have received information that the tiny given to you is from the wild,” they come in carrying a small cage with a few pieces of cloth on the bottom of it. I know what it must be for. “And I was told to bring you a cage for it.”

They set the cage down on my desk and leave again. I walk over and pick it up, testing it in my hands. It’s light, and it isn’t too big. It fits in the palm of my hand, taller than it is wide. I silently walk back to the drawer with it in my hands, placing it gently on the top. 

I crouch down to listen. There’s a few quiet sobs and one small whine. I still feel… odd. Quickly, I open the drawer. The tiny looks up at me with swollen eyes. I can’t say a word. I gently pick it up and open the cage, placing it just outside of the entrance.

It hesitates. I can’t do hesitation. I’m so annoyed, I’m feeling so… complicated. I push its back, shoving it inside of the cage. It lands on the soft fabrics and jumps back up to glare at me. I glare back, moving to lay on my bed under the blankets.

I can hear the tiny rattling the cage even though I’m facing away from it. It’s going to be a long night.


	3. Denial (Steven)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spinel seems to cave quite quickly, now.

As I sit in this literal cage, as if I’m some pet that needs to be contained during the night, I wonder why it had to be  _ me _ that was taken. Of course, I wouldn’t have wanted it to be anyone else, but didn’t I act the most rebellious before? Surely someone else would have folded a lot more quickly. 

I still feel the anger inside of me when I’m woken up by that princess bustling around the room, getting ready for the day. She doesn’t even look at me. I barely feel the motivation to sit up, much less try to reason with her again. But I’m angry. I have to communicate that somehow.

My gaze moves to the ceiling, right in the corner of my eye. How high up is this place? Is there any hope for me to get out of this? My breathing starts to get ragged again. I’m panicking. She’ll notice that I am eventually, but I doubt she’ll address it.

I opt to hiding under a piece of fabric instead, pulling it over me and trying to look as natural as possible by pulling my legs close. 

Eventually I hear delicate footsteps somewhere around me. The princess clicks her tongue. Does she have no idea what to say? Or is she trying to call me out? I stay still, holding my breathing as still as possible. I’m still panicking, and my chest burns from the held breaths. 

“You’re seriously hiding from me?” a voice says. I know it’s her. I wonder what her name is. Doesn’t matter, though. She probably won’t ever tell me. I stay quiet. “Get out here, now. I… nevermind. Just get out.”

Thousands of voices in my heart are screaming  _ ‘No!’ _ and I feel the urge to listen to them. But… my head knows what’s best. Maybe I’m scared, but I’m sure what comes if I don’t listen to her will be much worse than this. The door to the cage opens with a loud  _ clang _ on the side. She’s opened the cage, and she’s probably waiting for me. 

I’m trembling as I stumble out of the cage. I don’t want to be here. Looking at this princess in front of me, I can see a confused pair of nearly-pink eyes staring down at me. She’s confused. Why would she be confused? Did I do something wrong? I hug myself tightly, trying to hide my shaking.

“Are you… alright?” she asks, and it’s the softest voice I’ve ever heard any human speak to me with. 

I hesitate to speak and decide to stay quiet. The princess looks even more confused, and then she looks guilty. Why would she be guilty? She didn’t want me to talk, right? I swallow my questions down. Sometimes I talk too much anyways.

“You can talk, if you’d like…”

“Why would you want to know my feelings?  _ They don’t matter to you, do they!? _ ” I can’t hold back my yelling. I just want to scream. She’s...so…

I stop, clamping my hands over my mouth and stepping back in fear. She’s probably going to kill me for that. Or at the very least punish me like I’m some child. My anger is bubbling up into fear as it overtakes my body again. I look at the princess’s eyes. Confusion. Regret. Not a hint of anger, and I wonder why. Just last night, she was livid at me.

“Did I make you think that…?”

I press my hands into my throat to stop myself from speaking so I can only nod. I’m sure I’d blow up again if I spoke. The princess’s gaze turns blank as she thinks back to last night, her face slowly turning more…remorseful? I can’t even explain it. Humans are unpredictable. She could crush me within 5 seconds. 

But she isn’t. 

“I’m…” she breathes out softly, looking at her hands beside me. I didn’t even notice they were there. I didn’t even notice I had walked to the edge of the table, and I suddenly jump back as the princess lets out a wracking sob. “I am a monster! You’re right!”

She leans back to wipe the tears from her eyes. “You’re right. I was so lonely. I didn’t want you to leave me…” she sighs. “T-that’s not an excuse, is it? I am going about this ‘friend’ thing completely wrong.”

I’m not sure what to do. I continue backing up to the cage. She probably wants me in there anyways. Just as I’m about to get my back into it, her hand slams down behind me and stops me. I hit against the fleshy wall and jolt away, surprised. I still haven’t said a word during her entire breakdown. 

“What… what is your name, then…?” she asks quietly, her voice still sore from the sobbing.

I clear my throat. “Uh..it-it’s whatever… they-you tell me it is..?” I remember before, what the guard said to me. Not to tell them my name.

She grimaces. “Eugh. I know you have one, so tell me.”

I blink. She didn’t even say please? Well, she’s royalty, so I suppose it’s to be expected. I reply quietly, “Steven.”

“Steven?” she repeats me. She smiles down at me. “That’s nice… I’m Spinel.”

I still don’t trust her. At all. I have to set boundaries if I want to stay safe. My eyes wander to her face, memorizing the features of it.

“You still look scared,” she remarks to me. 

“You probably don’t even care,” I snap back. 

Spinel slams her hands down on the night table around me. The vibrations shake me to my very core, and I have to resist the urge to curl up into a ball. “I do! Okay!? I’m sorry about earlier, but I’m  _ trying  _ to fix it!”

My voice warbles as I reply, “Well, you’re still scaring me…”

She looks at her hands, and then me. The realization is dawning on her by the way her face changes. 

“I’m so sorry, I… I had no idea, I swear,” Spinel apologizes profusely, lifting her hands and then slowly moving one to pick me up.

I dodge her hand, throwing myself as far away from it as possible. Even though she’s likely going to pick me up quite gently, I can’t shake the fear I still have about being handled. Spinel holds back a growl, and I look at her fearfully as I sit up again.

“I-I…” I stutter. I can’t finish my sentence. What if she gets angry? I’m still fearful of her.

Spinel looks like she’s about to cry again, stepping back even more. “I promise I’ll stay away i-if you just… tell me how I can help. Are you scared of me?”

I gulp. Finally, I have to tell her. “Yes,” I reply quietly. I’m surprised she can even hear me, but her eyes widen. Is she offended? Is she shocked? I can’t hold back a snappy comment, standing up and swinging my arms around wildly. “Why wouldn’t I be? You  _ hurt _ me!”

“I hurt you!? When?” she asks quickly, concerned.

I groan, lifting a hand to my face and rubbing it down. “When you lifted me like I was a doll, treated me like I was some  _ pet _ , and  _ stuck me in a cage! _ ”

She stays quiet.

“Imagine someone doing that to _you!”_

“I…”

“You can’t, can you? Because… you’re just…” I clench my fists tightly, unable to find the words. My legs are screaming to run.

I listen to them and bolt off towards the closest edge of the table to Spinel’s bed. 

“Wait!” she cries out. I stop at the edge, about to jump off so I can slide down her blanket to the floor. Tears in her eyes again. Does she feel bad? My composure melts a little and I turn to her fully. “I’m sorry. Listen, I… I won’t do those things again. Unless you want me to.”

I look at her, confused. Why would I want her to? I say back to her, “I never want you to.”

“Okay,” she agrees quickly, rushing back to the night table and picking up the cage. She pulls the fabric out of the inside and sets it down, still carrying the cage. She looks at me. “Do you want to see me drop it out of the window, or…?”

I hum in thought. “No, but thanks. For doing this.”

Spinel looks flattered at my thanking her, smiling softly. I fight the urge to smile back. Her smiles are so contagious. Kinda pretty, too.

I look around the room as she walks to the window to drop the cage. It’s quite bright, with pinks and whites adorning nearly everything. Mostly white, but I can see a bit of pink in some places. The room feels familiar. I shake off the thought. I know I’ve never been inland.

She comes back and sits down on the bed, looking at me. “Do ya want to come closer or… I mean, my bed is a lot more comfortable than a table, right?”

I press my lips into a thin line. Maybe she wouldn’t touch me without asking. I doubt she will rough me up again. I give a slight nod, turning around to make the jump over.

Spinel gasps when she sees how large of a jump I made. I barely make it over, having to claw my hands into the blanket to climb back up. Not my best jump, of course. I don’t know this place very well. 

I still stay a reasonable distance away from her, avoiding her body completely and sitting across from her. Spinel sits cross-legged away from me, and I have trouble replicating the pose. 

“Are you trying to  _ copy _ me?” she asks amusedly. I glare at her snickers.

I clear my throat again. “Yes, I suppose I am.”

Spinel stares at me in awe. “You’re so… human. I kinda feel bad for thinking of you like… well, a  _ pet  _ before…”

“W-what, really?” I blush. Her jaw drops open.

“Oh my gosh. I feel even worse,” she murmurs, dragging her hands down her face in embarrassment. She looks at me again and squints. “Can I get a closer look at you? I can’t see you very well…”

Oh, boy. I tense up. Swallowing my fear, I nod silently. I just hope I don’t react too badly to a human directly in front of me. Imagining it, my anxiety spikes even more. I close my eyes tightly, trying to calm my senses. I’m thinking about backing out of this.

But it’s too late. When I open my eyes, there’s a pair of pink ones staring directly at me, mere inches away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo, boy.. I gotta start working again. I e been quite smooth sailing for a while having prepared the first few chapters but I’m getting to the end of my preparations. Please give me directions or predictions for this story if you can!


	4. Getting to Know You (Spinel)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still chugging along in the character development.

Steven is the tiny’s name, apparently. Is it really human? I wonder as I lean closer to examine the small figure. A pair of brown eyes open to stare back at me. I breathe out in wonder. Oh, god, it’s so human. How am I supposed to process this? 

Am I supposed to change how I think? Of course, this changes how I think! I’m such an idiot. If it’s a male… I should treat  _ him _ as one, right? 

He has dark hair, and he looks to be a bit stocky. It’s not a bad stocky, and he looks like he’s quite strong. I wonder where he came from. I want to ask him so many questions. 

Steven still seems scared of me, pulling his legs close to himself and leaning back. I frown. Would he run away if I scared him too much? He seems feisty. I want to test that, though, when we get to know each other better.

I spend a minute or two memorizing his features. He’s quite cute, and maybe he would even be handsome if he acted right. 

“Uhh, princess…?” he says. 

“Just call me Spinel,” I sit back up, looming over Steven again. He seems relieved, but still tense. I feel bad for the tiny. I can’t even imagine how big I look to him. 

_ And I might be doting over him soon… _

I chuckle nervously. “So, I have some questions for ya.”

“Why?”

I scoff, “Because I want to know you! You’re very silly.”

I smile at the blush that appears on his face. He stutters back, “W-well, alright. Go ahead.”

“Where did you come from..?” I ask quietly.

“Oh. Well.. I live— _ lived, _ ” he pauses, “by the beach. I haven’t seen the inland before…”

“You were out in the wild?”

“Yeah… I guess.”

“Oh wow!” I exclaim. After a moment, I smirk and say in an attempt to see his reaction, “I suppose that’s why you’re so feisty~”

Steven blinks once. Then twice. At last, he blushes and says, “Uhh, I don’t know about that…”

My face falls. He didn’t get it. I laugh and change the topic, “Anyways… how did they find you…?”

“How did I get  _ caught _ ?” he corrects me with a furrowed brow. “It was my fault. They followed me home… I was always so interested in watching people. I guess I forgot that every single one of them was out to get me.”

“Oh… well, I’m not out to get—“

“Don’t say you’re not out to get me. I know you’re just waiting to…  _ pounce  _ on me!” he interrupts me. I sigh. This is irritating. He doesn’t trust me at all.

“How can I get you to trust me?” I ask. I feel a bit hurt. Steven hears it in my voice and grimaces.

“I… just need to know you won’t hurt me. Or make me do things that I don’t want to,” he tells me and then adds aggressively, “Picking me up counts.”

“Alright…” I smile sadly. “I, uh, I’d like to pick you up, then.”

Steven crosses his arms and looks up at me, unamused. I sigh. “Please…?”

He sighs, “Well, gently.”

I slowly reach down and place my hand down next to Steven. He jumps and stares at the hand. A voice in my head reminds me that I should let him come over at his own volition.

I pivot my hand to be like a wall. Steven stumbles to his feet and looks up at me, confused. I smile back at him. His eyes flicker between my hand and my face, unsure of what to do.

Steven walks closer to my hand. I feel a bit bad. He’s forcing himself to do this, trembling in fear. I shift my weight on the bed just as he’s about to touch my hand with his own, which causes him to fall into my fingers. I nudge my other hand under him, cupping him in my hands and then I lift him closer to my face. 

“H-hello…” he blushes, taking in as much of my face as possible. I smile. Steven looks cute when he’s flustered. 

“Cute,” I remark. He makes a strangled sound that makes me think he’s even more flustered, although he’s definitely not being choked or strangled. I frown. “I’m sorry for picking you up like that before.”

“It’s okay… I just didn’t feel safe with you,” Steven replies. 

“And what about now…?” I ask, tilting my head slightly. 

He adjusts his gaze to the sunlight streaming in from the window in the room. I stay quiet, not wanting to startle him by talking. I wonder what my voice sounds like to someone so small.

“I’m willing to give you a second chance,” he says, sounding like he forced the words out of his mouth. 

“That’s.. better,” I say gently. I’m a bit disappointed. I just wanted things to be complete immediately, but.. working to gain his trust? That is going to be difficult and I know it.

He notices my face has fallen again and remarks nervously, “Y-you look prettier when you smile.”

I smile softly in return. My curiosity is starting to get the best of me as I look over his human features. I wonder what he feels like, and in order to quell my growing inquiries I gently poke Steven’s cheek with my thumb. It gives, just a little bit, like human skin as well. He looks at me, confused, but doesn’t make any movement away. I take it as a go-ahead and shift him to sit in one hand so I can have a hand free.    
  


With a careful approach, I brush my index finger over his hair to feel the curls. They’re soft, and I purr in satisfaction. Steven notices, suddenly getting flustered and trying to push my finger away with a whine of protest.

“Awww,” I coo without even meaning to, surprising even myself. I pause, letting Steven push my finger away.

“What was that!?” he asks, suddenly standing up straight. 

“N-no, I didn’t mean to, really,” I say, unsure of how to respond.

“No, what were you doing!? With your… noises!” he tries to explain further, swinging his arms wildly.

“Ohh.. it was just an accident, but it means.. I think something is cute.”

“Like.. me?” he clarifies.

“Like you. You’re very cute and I could just poke you all day,” I say enthusiastically. My finger trails back to his cheek and I exclaim, pressing down gently, “Especially here!”

Steven chuckles at that, slapping my finger away. He smiles up at me, a wide grin spreading across his face. I can barely contain myself. Why am I so happy at just a  _ tiny _ smiling at me? 

I know it’ll take a bit to gain his trust, but I feel like I’ve made a good start.

“I do still have a few questions though, Steven.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s gonna start picking up soon! This is planned to be a mystery. More characters are going to be introduced soon.


	5. Move (Steven)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No! I’m not done with awkward first impressions yet!!!  
> By the way, an approximate size for Steven is about hmm.. 3 and a half to five inches, depending on how you view interactions like this.

As the hours passed by, I found myself relaxing a bit and talking more. I couldn’t get enough of hearing the princess talk, however, since her voice was just so calming to me. It was like silk on my ears. I wondered if she was holding back her volume so she didn’t scare me, but I quickly skipped that thought and asked another question to fill our silence. The day has turned darker and suddenly Spinel looks at the window, noting the black sky.

“Oh, my, it’s dark out!” she remarks loudly. I flinch a little. It’s somewhat hurting my ears but at least she didn’t talk for that long. She turns to me and asks softly, “Where, uh.. where did you want to sleep?”

My gaze wanders to the fabrics on Spinel’s night table. I point at the spot and say, “I could sleep there, right? You left the cloth.”

I don’t understand why her face falls for a split second, but she quickly regains her composure and nods vigorously. I’m about to start walking over when she puts her hand down in front of me, palm up. Clicking her tongue to call me on. I furrow my brow and hesitate to step on when I hear the noise. Maybe Spinel is just impatient, though, and not treating me like a pet. I step onto the hand and she quickly deposits me on the night table, next to the small pieces of cloth.

I try really hard not to peek at her as she rushes around the room, getting ready for bed. Even going so far as to close my eyes and putting my hands over my face to hide my view of the princess. My instincts eventually get the best of me and I peek through a parting in my hands. Spinel, barely wearing a bra, staring at me dreamily. She catches my eye and squeaks, pulling back from leaning over me and catapulting herself over to her bed. She quickly pulls the blanket over herself.

I sigh. “Spinel, what’s wrong?” I ask, concerned.

“You.. saw.. me!” she whines, muffled a bit by the blanket pulled over her head.

“I was gonna see you eventually! Did you not want me to?” 

She stays quiet at that, only letting out a soft whine in return. Her head appears over the blanket, and I blush seeing her bare shoulders, suddenly reminded of her clothing choice. 

“Uh, Spinel?” I try to speak as she continues staring at me.

“Um… uhh…” she pulls herself back under the blanket. “I hope you didn’t want to see more..~?” she tries to flirt, but it comes out nervous and awkward. I flinch, but just the mere mention of it is making me flustered.

“What?” my reply is unintentional, my voice shaking madly and my cheeks heating up. “I..I..”

Spinel is definitely going to take this opportunity to tease me more.

“I normally sleep like this anyways. It’s more comfortable for me~” she says, turning away from me and lying down to leave me in a startled silence.

That was weird.

It isn’t long before I start to get to work on trying to wrangle the small pieces of fabric left on Spinel’s night table. I groan upon realizing how 

scratchy they really are. Last night, I barely cared because I was so tired but I know I’ll never sleep on them once I’ve made this observation. My gaze wanders back over to Spinel, hearing the breaths indicating that she’s asleep. I wonder what her skin feels like somewhere in my head.

Wait! I can’t be thinking these things! I shake my head rapidly, hoping to leave those thoughts behind. I can’t go up to her like that! But maybe if I asked…

My legs guide me over cautiously, being careful not to wake her. She stirs a bit when I make it up to her face. She turned over to face me while she was sleeping? I smile softly, reaching out to rest my hand on her cheek. She’s so pretty, her skin glistening softly in the moonlight streaming in from the window. I look down towards her lips. They don’t look dry at all, and if I was human sized I’d surely want to kiss them. 

Wait.. kiss them!? I freeze my hand moving down to her lips. Why am I thinking these things? I can’t believe myself, falling for a—

A hand grabs me and lifts me up. Oh. She woke up. Irritated pink eyes stare up at me as she holds me just above her face. 

“What were you doing?” she asks sternly. She’s still waking up.

“I.. I was just looking at you.”

“Looking at me!?” Spinel laughs loudly. “You’re lucky you’re cute or else you’d be out of here. Should I punish you, I wonder~?”

I flinch visibly, squirming against her grip. I don’t like this anymore. The grip around me tightens, constructing my sides tighter. My body stings, groaning against the pressure. She needs to stop. I have to tell her to stop. I gather up all my strength and yell, “Stop! It hurts!”

That seems to bring her back, and she drops me onto the blanket over her lap as she sits up. I’m silent as she tries to understand what happened, looking at the backs and fronts of her hands. “Did..  _ I  _ hurt you?”

I catch my breath, still unable to respond. 

“I’m so sorry! I hurt you!” she cries out loudly, causing me to jump back again.

“I-I was just… the fabric over there was… okay, it sounds stupid, but it was really scratchy,” I explain to her nervously.

“I’m so sorry. I should have tested them,” she continues to apologize profusely for several minutes, until I finally stop her with a loud clearing of my throat..

I say with a nervous stutter, looking at the ground below me, “I-I.. can I sleep.. with you?”

Spinel squeals excitedly, my head snapping back to look at her wide grin. “Of course!”

I let out a long sigh which is quickly interrupted as the princess lifts me up in her hand. I yelp in surprise when she places me by her collarbone, still laying down.

“What?” I ask, confused.

“Just.. go back to sleep..” she murmurs, nodding off immediately. I sit there for a while contemplating what has happened before carefully cuddling up to her neck and falling asleep. At least her hair isn’t as scratchy as those fabrics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Insert Lenny face
> 
> no. nothing happens. this matters later though. but sadly there’s a time skip after this because FFFFFFU-
> 
> also join my server https://discord.gg/wEP6JM  
> lots of people. Very cool. All people.
> 
> You might see some of my exclusive works!


	6. Suitors (Spinel)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fricking kevin smh 
> 
> Steven lashes out.

I always forget about these days, where I know I have to leave Steven. Or I have to purposefully ignore him. I need to make sure to apologize later, but right now I have to prepare for the next bunch of suitors attempting to take my hand in marriage.

Here’s the thing, I don’t want to get married. I couldn’t stand marrying any of the men that come to me on a monthly basis with flowers and gifts. They feel so fake, constantly smiling and only telling me the good things about themselves. And they just smile and laugh it off when I reject them, promising to come back again.

Which is why I’m keeping Steven close by this time. He’s the only thing in the room that actually shows real emotions. I let him step onto my hand and hold him close, telling my servant to start inviting the suitors in. One by one, not even talking to me, just giving gifts. I feel lazy, just sitting here.

I look at Steven. He seems content to just be around me, now. It’s been about a week or so since we.. sort of became friends. I don’t normally feel anything for anyone, but Steven feels like a special case. He seems to like me too… but I’m not sure how to speak about it. 

As much as he won’t admit it, he is mine, after all. No matter how many opinions, thoughts and feelings he has, and no matter how guilty I am… 

“What is that?” a suitor stands in front me, pointing at my hands. He looks disgusted by whatever it is… oh. The suitor is pointing at Steven.

“What?” I ask, trying to clarify what he’s pointing at, really.

“In your hands,” he says.

It’s Steven. I can feel my blood boiling in advance, as I already know how this interaction is going to go. “It’s my-“

“Yes, yes, your tiny. Why do you have a tiny when you’re going to get a husband?” 

“Wha… he’s-“

“He?” a flamboyant wave of his hair. He looks at me through half lidded eyes, his look one of disgust. “It’s not a person, Princess.”

I instinctively hug Steven closer to my chest, glaring at the suitor. “What is your name?”

“Kevin, love. Just for you,” he says, dropping a letter and a single rose on the nearest table. The suitor takes my free hand, kissing it softly. He winks at me. I feel disgusted. I can feel Steven squirming, trying to get a look at the man leaving. Kevin stops in front of the door, turning to look at me again. “Remember-“

“Get out!” Steven yells at him, peeking over my hand. Kevin freezes. His calm, collected expression turns to anger. I can feel it directed at Steven.

“Um, wait,” I say, placing Steven behind me on the bed so neither of them can see each other. “Sorry about him..”

“Train it or I’ll do it myself,” Kevin says, leaving the room. I feel burnt out from just this interaction. I sigh.

Steven still looks at the door with livid anger, growling quietly. Is he.. jealous? He’s clearly angry at Kevin. Maybe I would be too… I shake my head. He can’t have outbursts like that.

“Don’t you hate people like- aah!” I pick him up mid sentence, not even asking but just grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up. I glare at him. The tiny is already trembling.

“You.. I can’t believe you!” I say, starting to scold him. “You interrupted someone I didn’t even know!”

“He- he touched you! And then.. then he got to..” Steven clenched his fists, suddenly a lot more eager to snap back. “Fine! I did! I don’t like him.”

“Do you not like him just because he talked to me and got to interact with me?” 

“He’s got a stupid personality too,” Steven huffs. 

“You shouldn’t have lashed out like that,” I tell him. “Is something wrong?”

“No! Nothing is wrong!” Steven says all too quickly, glancing away. I’m starting to feel annoyed at him. 

I can’t figure out what to do. I could ask him if he’s jealous, but.. that would make him flustered. But I really want to know. I have to punish him.. at some point.

I place him back down on the bed and walk away. He can think about it. I need to think too. I stomp out of the room.

I come back an hour later and he’s bored out of his mind, now just laying face flat on the blanket and complaining to it. He doesn’t react when I put my weight onto the bed, leaning over him on my knees. Of course he knows I’m here, how couldn’t he know?

“Steven,” I say.

“Nnmmnn..” Steven’s pretending to sleep now.

I growl, and he sits up. Fear is in his eyes as he turns around to face me. “I left you alone so you could think, and you did that?”

Steven scoffs and turns away. “Spinel, I’m not a pet. I’m-“

“You are.”

“What?” Steven freezes. I see guilt and betrayal take his features, but it can’t be true. I’m just telling him how it is. 

“You are a pet, and you are mine. I gave you the luxury of respect, so use it. Everything you have could be a lot worse if I didn’t care,” I explain in an aggressive tone.

“I...I’m not..” he steps back, and then again, and again, and again. I catch his collar and tug him back easily with two of my fingers. He struggles against them. “Stop! Listen to me, Spinel! What did I do!?”

“You weren’t good,” I say, standing up and leaving him dangling in the air as I walk to my dresser. 

“I thought we were friends! This isn’t what friends do!” Steven keeps trying to get out of this. I need to do this quick. Before I start feeling guilty.

“Did you think we were friends when you lashed out at that suitor?” I lift him up to my face again to watch his changing emotions.

Fear, anger, something I can’t describe and then.. he’s scared again. He keeps squirming, keeps trying to make excuses, “W-wait! You don’t even care why I did it!?”

I groan, “Ugh. Tell me, then.”

“Spin-Spinel, this might not be the best time to tell you but, um..” Steven takes a deep breath. What is he going to say? Is he really going to say why? He says in the most sincere way possible, “I.. like.. you.. and I wanted to protect you, as stupid as that sounds!”

Okay. This is a lot. I can’t even think. Wait, I can, but the only thing going through my mind is ‘Steven likes me! Steven wants me!!!’ and it’s starting to put a smile on my face.

Steven notices I’ve got a dazed look and pokes my nose gently, snapping me back. I place him down on the dresser, my mood completely changed, “You really like me? Well, I.. coulda said the same to you.”

“Was that all you wanted out of me?” he asks. 

“No.. I.. like seeing ya squirm too,” I chuckle a bit and glance away. 

“Wow…” 

“Yes?” I look down at Steven again.

“You.. um.. you like me? Really?” he blushes. I can see that he definitely likes me, but it must be harder with someone 10 times his size.

“Yeah, I would’ve married a guy like you,” I say dreamily.

“...what if I.. wasn’t this size?”

“Well, then, you could be mine in marriage too!” I exclaim. I freeze. “Oops, wait, I take that back, that doesn’t sound good. I would marry you in a heartbeat, Steven.”

“And if there was a way…” he trails off.

I get what he’s saying immediately. “We can find one.”

“Ehh.. um…” Steven trails off, suddenly interested in changing the subject, “Can we do something else?”

I’ll talk to him about it later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yesss
> 
> Also I’m gonna need a while to write more chapters so... short hiatus until.. next Friday. I’ll be working, I promise!
> 
> PLEASE COMMENT I NEED IDEAS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH


	7. Space (Steven)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven just needs space. Yes there is tension and yes there are grudges. Steven and Spinel's relationship is very rocky and they seem to go on and off quite often.

“Spinel, just hold on. I can tell you later, I promise,” I say shakily, looking up at the princess who is looming over me on the bed. 

“And that's what you said the last time! And the day before that!” she rants, gesturing with her hands. She softens suddenly and her face takes an expression similar to guilt. “Ugh, whatever, it's fine,” she whispers, waving it off. Spinel settles her hands back around me, moving her hands together and gently squishing me in her grip. It feels secure. She lifts me up a little. “I just want to talk, is it that hard…”

But I don't like it. I growl and push angrily at the pair of hands surrounding my body. “Yeah, yeah, it's fine until the next time you get impatient!” Spinel lifts me to her face, her features turned into an expression I can't quite read. She sighs disappointedly looking at my face, and I snap at her again, “What? Do I not look good enough for you either!?”

Spinel’s eyes widen. “Steven, I..”

“I don't want to hear it! I'm tired, I just want some space to think! Just…just..” my head hangs low as I trail off.

“Just leave you alone?” Spinel finishes. She sighs again. I can't bear to look at her; I can feel her energy coming off in waves and I know she's angry at me. “Fine, I will leave you alone! I'm tired of your outbursts!”

Spinel drops me harshly on the bed and storms out of the room, I land on my back with a grunt and bounce a little but I'm otherwise fine as I look over myself. I look at the door she stormed out of. It's open a bit.

I ignore it and avoid thinking to take advantage of it. Spinel hasn't given me a real reason to try and run away yet. I just need a bit of space. I stand up and move up her bed to the pillows, pushing under one and lying down. It feels comfortable here, and there's no noise or Spinel to distract me.

I need to think. And that's what I do. 

Hours later, I'm snapped out of my thoughts when I feel the bed shake. It must be Spinel’s weight falling onto it. I wait there for a second to listen for anything and I'm about to step out when I hear a quiet sob.

She's never cried quietly before.

I stay hidden, hearing her continue to mumble, “I'm so sorry, Steven… I just… I just wanted to know why.. I just wanted to talk and…agh, I'm so stupid!” I feel what might her fists hitting the blankets. “And now, what if he's gone…? All because I couldn't leave ‘im alone!!” she lets out another few wracking sobs before I can't hear anything she says coherently anymore.

I brush my hand through my hair, attempting to calm myself. I should apologize, right? Or at least tell her that I needed to think and I wanted space. How could we negotiate that? She likes touching me, and if she's not touching me she's usually talking to me. 

Then the thought hits me and I feel the urge to bolt right out and shout it at her.

We’ve never relaxed together before. A ghost of a smile grazes my face at the thought of just existing near her while we both do other things. It sounds perfect… but I need to apologize first. I pause after nearly stumbling out in my excitement. I don't even know what I did wrong, or how Spinel would react when I propose something like that.

I swallow my fears and stumble out into the open, immediately shocked to see a puddle of tears on the pillow beside me. She’s buried her face in the pillow, hugging herself tightly and murmuring quiet apologies. I clear my throat to make my presence known and she turns her head towards me, still resting it on the pillow. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying and I almost feel bad for letting her cry for so long. 

“Steven… you stayed?” she asks wearily, moving her hand up closer to me. I push her hand away with a huff.

“Don't.. no touching me right now, okay? Let's just talk about this.”

Spinel looks hurt that I refused to let her touch me but she stands down anyways, moving her hand back to her side. “Okay, what happened..? Did I do something wrong? I-I’m sorry!”

I sigh. Spinel is jumping to conclusions before I can even tell her what's happening. “No, none of that,” I inhale deeply before blurting it all out quickly, “It's just sometimes I don't like when you touch me, and then if you're not touching me you're talking to me and if you're not talking to me you're touching me and it just goes on and on and I just want to relax for once!”

“You told me you wanted to be alone… sometimes I worry you'd leave and forget all about me…” Spinel stutters out quickly, barely able to think. 

“No, it's nothing like that. I'm just tired off the constant contact.. isn't it enough to just exist in the same room? You don't need a constant reminder of me at this point..” I reply.

“Uh, give me a minute to think.”

Spinel purses her lips in thought and buries her face in the pillow for a while. When she finally moves back up to stare at me, I shift uncomfortably, trying to prompt her to speak, “Um, Spinel?”

“Sure.. I can do it,” she says with a slight smile. 

I brighten up the same, smiling. “That’s good! I'd feel better if I had just a little bit of space.”

“Yeah.. but could you just.. sit in my lap while I read something for now? And you can go whenever you want but I just like the company.” Spinel explains, sitting up. I am slightly startled by the sudden change in weight on the bed, but I ground myself before I can fall back. 

“Uh, okay. It's a bit safer for me to be up there anyways, knowing the.. uh.. well, yeah,” I trail off, climbing over her knee. She giggles seeing me slide into her lap. The fabric is a bit bouncy due to her wearing a dress. 

I decide to just try and relax while she picks up something from beside her and starts looking at it, mumbling a few words every now and then.

“What is it?” I ask.

“You said we weren't supposed to talk, Steven..” Spinel reminds me.

“I meant just focusing on talking,” I say. 

Spinel hums in agreement. “Anyways, what’s what?”

“The.. uh..thing you're looking at.”

“The book?”

“Yeah, what is it?”

She laughs awkwardly. “It's just a bunch of legal stuff about hierarchy. Nothing too important to you, sweetheart~” Spinel says. “I thought you could read the cover from here; though.”

“Uh.. read?” 

“What, do you not know what reading is either?”

I stay quiet af that.

Spinel gasps quietly, barely holding back a giggle. “You can't read?”

“...no,” I say reluctantly. 

“Huh. I'll have to teach ya sometime!” Spinel remarks, going back to reading. I curl up on her lap again, trying to find a comfortable spot. The fabric is so soft, and it feels so nice and clean.

I can't help it when my eyes feel heavy and I start to doze off, finally falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! I overcame my depression induced writers block, finally. Here's my discord if anyone's interested, this is a forever link so those of you who get here late can still join!  
> https://discord.gg/ehZmtvu  
> I thought it would be cute if they could read to each other sometime ^-^ there's just a lot of character development right now but Steven is sure to get cabin fever/stir-crazy eventually.


	8. Why Can't You Trust Me (Spinel)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's right I'm still going idiots and I will not stop until i have reached a satisfying conclusion and done this arc of sorts

“So, how about…” I pause to think for a moment before blurting out the first question that comes to my mind, “Have you ever…  _ kissed _ anyone?”

Steven stops twiddling his thumbs and visibly tenses; something I've come to recognize which means he's uncomfortable. I like to think we've come a long way since we met. Steven tells me often that I'm a lot nicer than I was before, but I just hope one day we can finally take that next step in our relationship past our emotional closeness…  _ which is probably why I just asked him if he'd kissed someone before _ . I feel like smacking myself for being so forward, but I have to focus on why Steven has suddenly become so uncomfortable.

He takes a deep breath, clearly not even looking at me and instead at his fingers again. But I can see his mouth opening and closing multiple times, so could he just be thinking of what to say? I stare down at the tiny in front of me, listening intently for any noise.

After a while, he speaks up,” Uhm, well, yeah, but not on the lips of course. She was uh… not the right size for that,” then chuckles nervously.

“Oh, really? Tell me about them?”

Steven freezes up again and I'm starting to think I should drop the topic entirely as he forces himself to relax. But my impatience gets the best of me after a few moments.

I prompt him again, “Uhh.. so?”

“...Connie. I really thought we were friends, and.. I really let my guard down by telling her everything and it's all my fault that we-that  _ I  _ got taken away and now I wonteverseethemagainand-” Steven raises his hands to his hair and pulls, his speech turning into just mumbling gibberish and I know something is wrong. Have I pushed him too far?

I throw my hands out when I see him flinch as he pulls at his curls, trying to stop him. “Steven! Hold on, hold on, just tell me what's-”

“You'll do the exact same thing if I tell you!” he closes his eyes tightly, not showing any signs of stopping despite the pain I know he's doing to himself. “I know you want to use me too and just learn  _ all _ about me so you can know what I am!” 

“No, it's not like that, Steven-”

“Was that what you  _ wanted _ ? I-I remember you said I was a pet. I know you just want to-  _ useme _ , like everyone else,” he continues with no sign of stopping, and I’m not sure exactly  _ how _ to stop him. “-and then tell everyone about me, like I'm an attraction, like I'm a-  _ spectacle _ -”

“Steven, I know you're not any of that anymore! Why can't you just trust that!?” I raise my voice over his blubbering, and he stops. The tiny slowly moves his head to look at me again, placing his hands in his lap. I would relax, but I know he doesn't step down that easily. I repeat my point in a softer tone, hoping to quell any negative feelings he has, but it comes out hurt and distraught, unlike what I expected, “Why can't you just  _ trust _ me _ ,  _ Steven..”

But he doesn't say anything, and as I'm preparing another heated response without thinking, I hear a quiet sob. Steven is starting to cry, covering his face to hide the tears but barely able to muffle the sound. It sounds uncontrollable. I feel like crying too, seeing him so vulnerable. 

He curls into himself, laying on his side and looking away from me. He never looks away from me when he's lying down, as if he's always cautious. I awkwardly attempt to lie down too, dangling my legs off the bed. 

“Steven..?” 

“She said she would-she said she would keep it a secret. That we saw each other sometimes.  _ And then she broke the promise _ ,” Steven explains, still not looking at me. “It-it can't be her fault, it  _ has _ to be mine. I didn't even get time to process it before people were raiding the beach, looking for us… for  _ me _ , because.. I just wanted a friend. Maybe something more..”

My heart sinks. He must not be over her yet.  _ That's why he was so uncomfortable!  _ I feel like slapping myself, but now isn't the time.

“I want to move on, but, right now I just need..” he pauses. “uh, well..”

“Anything,” I say quickly, opting to lie down on my stomach on the bed instead of dangling my legs off. 

“..I just want to be held.”

I snort. “Pfffft! What? Of course! Why is that even a question, Steven,” I say, reaching out with both hands to scoop him up with a big smile and continuing to talk, “You know I’d agree to that in a heartbeat, right? I just-”

Steven cuts me off from my speech, “Wait! No, not like that! I mean.. differently. Closer, I guess?”

“Closer to what?” 

“Your.. face? Body, or.. something,” Steven blushes.

“Oh!” I scoop up the tiny and hold him closer to my face without hesitation, startling him a little. “Could I kiss you?”

“Wh- _what!?_ ” by the way Steven is startled by my question, I know he probably doesn't like it. My face drops instinctively at the rejection. Steven quickly tries to backpedal at seeing my disappointment, “Um, wait, before we make any decisions- and it's not a _no_ \- WHY exactly would you want to _kiss_ me!? And how?”

“You'll just have to see~ it won't be too overwhelming, don't worry,” I tell Steven, hoping that the explanation works to convince him.

After a while, he relents, blushing. I excitedly squeal and move in slowly to try and kiss his cheek, instead kissing half his face as he laughs. 

“You have to be more specific!” 

“Well, sorry my lips aren't  _ tiny _ !”

We both let loose for a while, just enjoying each other's company in that comfortable state. I quickly drop the tiny in my lap when I hear a knock at the door, snickering at the whine I hear when I call for them to enter.

“Oh- hello Blue, Yellow. What are you doing here?” I ask, seeing my caretakers enter the room. 

“Oh, we just wanted to ask how things went with that new pet we had sent over while we were gone,” Yellow replies. I feel a bit of confusion for a second, then suddenly realize the ‘pet’ that they're referring to. I feel a bit of anger bubble inside of me but I ignore it.

“Yes, um, he's..  _ fun _ ,” I say, trying to think of a word that they might accept.

Yellow squints at me in confusion, and the two monarchs exchange glances for a second. Maybe I said something wrong? Yellow points at the door and I'm starting to wonder if they're psychic when she speaks up again, turning to me.

“Right. We’ll be going, then. We wanted to have dinner in a while, and you'd be invited, of course.”

They wordlessly leave the room and I sigh when they're gone, visibly relaxing.

“Being a princess looks hard.”

“It  _ is _ hard,” I say, still watching the door. I look down at Steven and pick him up again, smiling as I gently brush my fingers over his cheeks, “You make it a  _ lot _ easier, though.”

Steven seems a bit troubled by that, but he smiles as well, chuckling and pushing away my fingers. 

I bide my time talking and interacting with Steven until I realize it's sunset, knowing that I have to leave so I can eat with the Diamonds. I only hope Steven isn't too distraught that I might have to leave him alone for a bit longer than a couple of hours if the Diamonds keep me around that long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OooOoooooooo???????????? what's gonna happen while Spinel is gone now that the Diamonds are back??? again, I'm not going to explain why they're gone because that's going to be explained in the future.
> 
> i feel bad for those who have to read these on a computer. here's a tip, though; zoom also wraps the words around the page if you do that. its usually in the address bar or in the tabs around there in internet browsers.

**Author's Note:**

> Updated every Monday  
> and maybe Friday if I’m feeling it.


End file.
